Let's Talk About Music!

Sergio Barer
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS

This is an informal chat with performers and composers about their craft, about their lives and about music itself, with an emphasis on understanding and enjoying classical music and other genres that are not quite mainstream.

  1. 05/30/2024

    A chat with Michael Kaulkin about his music

    Michael Kaulkin is a composer that lives in the San Francisco Bay area and whose music has been described as "exceptionally beautiful on all counts" . In here we take up his work "Cycle of Friends" for soprano, choir and chamber orchestra. If you want to know more about Michael, his website is: www.MichaelKaulkin.com. And my website is: www.SergioBarer.com

    38 min

  2. 04/18/2024

    A chat with composer Andrew Maxfield

    In this episode, we listen to 3 works by Andrew, the first one a choral work called Darkness Starts, then a work for strings called Nightsounds and we end with a work for piano and flute called Queen of the Night Tulip. We discuss some of the technical aspects of composing and yet, there is enough conversation happening in layman's terms that even if you don't understand the terminology, you will get something out of the episode. And one of the things that you will get for sure is getting to know the music of Andrew Maxfield, something that is definitely worth it.

    48 min

  3. 03/05/2024

    Jocelyn Hagen, a chat about her music and how she writes it.

    Jocelyn Hagen is a well known composer in the choral world and she is a very interesting composer, as well. We explore with her a musical setting she made of Afghani poetry writtten by women. Both the poetry and the music are definitely worth listening to. Just to give you an idea of the material, one of the poems she used is called "Load Poems Like Guns". Listen and enjoy.

    42 min

  4. 02/10/2024

    A chat with Michael Bussewitz-Quarm

    Michael Bussewitz-Quarm is an award winning composer who has a very unique style: It is modern, and yet, accesible. It is beautiful, yet fresh. I asked her to come to the podcast because our paths crossed at different choral conferences but when I heard her music, it really hit me in a very special way. I hope that getting to know her and her music is as powerful for you as it was for me.

    40 min

  5. 10/14/2023

    In Those Years, No One Slept, a chat with Rich Campbell

    In this episode, I talk with Rich about his choral composition, In Those Years, No One Slept and we talk about his composition style, his process and his ideas about composing in general.

    25 min

  6. 09/09/2023

    Del Tingo al Tianguis, a new work by Bernardo Feldman

    Bernardo Feldman is my first guest of the fourth season of my podcast. The podcast, starting in this, its 4th season, is going to consist of shorter episodes that focus on one piece of music and on the composers views of that piece, in particular, and their music, in general. Bernardo brings a new piece that will be premiered September 23d at Saint Andrews Church in Pasadena. We listen to 3 minutes of the work and talk briefly about it.

    23 min

  7. 07/09/2023

    A chat with Brett Abigana about his music.

    Brett Abigania is a very interesting composer that I met at the Midwest Conference in Chicago in December 2022. He showed me a fugue he had done with a 12 tone row (a la Schoenberg). I was fascinated and I asked him to send me a couple of works that he would like to talk about. He sent me a movement of his first symphony called Degeneration and another work called Locrian Riffs. It has a jazzy vibe but uses one of the Medieval church modes which entail some difficulties, which is something Brett never shies away from. I hope you enjoy it. This is the sixth and last episode of Season 3 and I added a musical introduction that comes from my trio for flute, oboe and clarinet.

    37 min

  8. 06/10/2023

    A chat with Sergio Barer about The Pioneers, hosted by Bernardo Feldman

    My oratorio The Nightmare and the Dream was premiered in Los Angeles on May 21st, 2023. This podcast was recorded 2 weeks prior to that. I asked my friend, composer Bernardo Feldman, whom I have interviewed twice for my podcast, to change roles with me and ask the questions about this work prior to its premiere. However, due to production emergencies and last minute changes, I was not able to publish this podcast until now. But no worries, we will be streaming the premiere next month in a program hosted by myself and my friend, composer and pianist Robert Remstein, and this podcast will serve as a prelude to the restreaming of the work. For this podcast, I used a version of The Pioneers, the last movement of the oratorio, that was recorded by four singers, each one separately, with music samples serving as the wind ensemble accompaniment. In the podcast, Bernardo and I discuss the political, historical and social implications of the work, as well as the musical elements involved in its composition and the texts that were used. Stay tuned for the announcement of the restreaming of the premiere.

    54 min
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About

This is an informal chat with performers and composers about their craft, about their lives and about music itself, with an emphasis on understanding and enjoying classical music and other genres that are not quite mainstream.

Information

  • Creator
    Sergio Barer
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sergio Barer